Super hero

I’m ready for take off³ 
celestial superhero⁴ 
trusty lever in hand
second hand oxygen mask⁵ 
respiratory regulation activated
stealth shield⁶ 
all powerful

Control tower
I’m listening
following orders
blindly
playing with destiny
the latest update:
I’m dying little by little
 
All systems go
I smash the sky
shattering
the wilting parasitic lianas⁷
oppressing the cables of my mind
in dangerous adrenaline overdrive
in the impotent immensity of the cosmos
 
I’m suffocating
as you’ve commanded
and it’s too late
I cannot turn back
can’t rip up the contract
all that remains of me
is a bit of humanity
 
Help me!⁸

³ In Spanish a first person narrative includes the personal pronoun in the verb: Listo. In English first person narrative there’s a separate pronoun, I, that subtly increases the visibility of the Lyric aspect, and sometimes amplifies the poem’s irony.
⁴ Celestial superhero rather than superhero of the sky, links to the collection’s title.
⁵ Second-hand for caducada rather than ‘expired’ balances the line’s rhythm, and adds poetic flair.
⁶ Stealth for furtive rather than ‘pirated’ (or something else) adds consonantal alliterative sparkle – stealth shield, in place of the Spanish text’s lovely assonantal vowel play – escudo furtivo.
⁷ A full-bodied poetic image – wilting parasitic lianas – plays up the lyrical charge of the hero’s crisis
⁸ The superhero’s cry for help underlines the poem’s ironic bite.  Our heroes are so often victims of circumstance.

Súper héroe

Listo a despegar
súper héroe de los cielos
palanca imbatible en mano
máscara de oxígeno caducada
regulador de respiración activado
escudo furtivo
todopoderoso

Torre de control
escucho
sigo órdenes
a ciegas
jugando con el destino
noticia de última hora
muriéndome poco a poco

Motores encendidos
choco el cielo
destruyo
los marchitos despojos que presionan
los cables de mi mente
desbordando de adrenalina funesta
en la inmensidad impotente del firmamento

Me ahogo
como ustedes manden
ya es tarde